1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cruise control apparatus to control the traveling speed of a vehicle and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cruise control apparatus serves to travel a vehicle at a speed that is set by a driver while maintaining a safe distance between the vehicle and an object ahead of the vehicle in a state in which the driver is not stepping on an acceleration pedal.
More specifically, if the driver sets a cruise control mode by operating a corresponding mode setting button, and thereafter sets a vehicle speed, the cruise control apparatus may travel a vehicle at the speed set by the driver while maintaining a safe distance between the vehicle and an object ahead of the vehicle even if the driver does not step on an acceleration pedal.
Such a cruise control mode by the cruise control apparatus may be set based on a driver's will, regardless of peripheral road environments, and maintains a preset traveling speed of the vehicle, which allows the driver to conveniently drive the vehicle at a desired speed even without stepping on an acceleration/deceleration pedal.
However, in fact, different roads have different speed limits.
When a vehicle, a speed of which is preset to 120 km/h based on a cruise control mode, is present on a road having the speed limit of 100 km/h, the driver may not recognize that he/she drives the vehicle at the preset speed of 120 km/h despite the fact that the speed limit of the road is 100 km/h, and thus may unintentionally violate the Road Traffic Act. This may make the driver be fined for violation of the speed limit when photographed by a speed sensing camera.
Moreover, to reduce the vehicle speed at curves or bumps, the driver may be required to inconveniently directly step on a brake or change a vehicle speed.